CRI听力:NZ Companies Eye Chinese Screen Market

Reporter:

John Key says after making Hollywood blockbusters the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, New Zealand now is looking for new markets and new partnerships.

"While the United States for now remains the dominant screen market, the explosive growth in the Chinese box office and online distribution channels for television means there are huge opportunities for New Zealand companies here."

He adds that some people may think of New Zealand as the land of milk and honey, but his country is much more than that.

"New Zealand's creativity sector is starting to make ways internationally and in China. New Zealand's creativity and technical capability including post-production and visual effects is increasingly sought after here and we can continue to see that around the world."

The Prime Minister says New Zealand and China have a unique relationship in terms of the creative sector: the two sides signed a film co-production agreement in 2010 and then a television co-production deal in 2014.

"This is the first agreement of its kind that China signed with a developed economy, making New Zealand the only country to have both film and television co-production agreements with China. We are naturally very proud of this and New Zealand producers are making most of this first-mover advantage in the Chinese market."

John Key says the unique relationship has encouraged partnerships between companies on both sides. Natural History New Zealand is one of those companies that has benefited from the creative relationship.

Kyle Murdoch, managing director of NHNZ, says without the platforms built by the two governments, his company wouldn't see such rapid growth in joint production activities.

"Today we celebrate the signing of three MOUs, the three new series with CCTV kids, CCTV animation and CCTV 10; and I also acknowledge that more productions already on the way..."

To extend a decade-long partnership with China's CCTV, NHNZ signed new agreements on Monday with Chinese national television in a bid to expand the scope of the cooperation.

John Key witnessed the signing ceremony in Beijing.

It is John Key's sixth visit to China as Prime Minister. His visit will also take him to Shanghai and Xi'an.